Month: February, 2016

Tuesday I did my first training presentation as a Sister Training Leader at Zone Training. The topic was “Permanent Change” so it had a lot to do with repentance and making ourselves better permanently rather than just hearing a good lesson, pushing forward with greater resolve for the next two days and then falling back to old habits. I think it turned out well. The rest of the day I was on exchange and exchanges are fun when you know what you are doing and where you are going, but when you don’t things are a little hard. We came quite late to a dinner appointment due to mixed up buses.
Wednesday we had a great correlation meeting with our mission president and the stake president to discuss missionary work in the area. Thursday we had Weekly Plannning and dinner at a recent convert’s home. She lives in a house where people from around the world pay to learn French, so it was a fun crowd. That Sunday a Brazilian couple that was at the dinner came to church! On Friday we were on exchange again (so many exchanges!) and we taught some great people. Saturday and Sunday we visited former investigators. Sunday we also had a great lesson with a new investigator who has the desire to be baptised. He would drive by the temple in Haiti and could feel the Spirit there.

Again I’m using a French keyboard. Hopefully it will actually let me write coherently.
On Monday we bought our grocery caddy, one of those hip grocery carriers that every Montréal mom has. We felt pretty cool until it broke on the stairs of the metro and two kind passers-by helped us bandage it together with ripped plastic grocery bags.

Tuesday we did a lot of pass-bys of former people that had been taught, talking with people on the way.
Wednesday we had a meeting and we met with the Relief Society president to talk about how we could help the women in the ward. Thursday we planned and had a great lesson with an investigator. Friday I was on exchange with another sister and the whole day I was feeling kind of sick. By the end of the night I wasn`t doing too well so we went home a little earlier. Saturday we went to a baptism with an investigator and Sunday was Church, so obviously it was awesome! Happy Valentine`s Day to you all! I love you, and I love my mission and everything that I am learning. I often don`t feel like I have changed, but I do know that I have learned a lot and that I love people more!

I can’t believe I made it through this crazy week and am here to write about it in a public library in Montréal.

Last Monday for p-day I planned to pack for my transfer, but right when studies ended one of the sister training leaders called and said she was planning a surprise for her companion who was going home. Of couse we couldn’t resist participating so we immediately headed to downtown Ottawa to see Winterlude, the big ice festival where they have ice sculptures and freeze the canal (some photos of the sculptures were posted in last week’s email). The only issue is that since this has been a very mild winter many of the ice sculptures have melted and the canal became very mushy. However, the beaver tail stand was still up so we got one of those. Afterwards I realized that I had never been out to eat at the famous ByWard market, so we got lunch with some other sisters there. By the time this all ended, we had to send emails then go to a lesson. In summary, no packing got done besides what was already finished. I have been transferred three other times so I know that packing needs to start almost the moment you get the call.
Tuesday we had rapid fire lessons ending with dinner at my favorite Chinese place. And Wednesday at 5:30 am we left for the bus station. I like leaving super early, it makes you not really realize you are leaving because you are so tired. This time the way we did transfers was diferent. Instead of all meeting up at the mission office then going to our areas, we were told to head directly to our new area, mine being the middle of the island of Montréal. I had two suitcases and two bags and my companion who was training and going to the island as well to pick up her new companion was able to help me out at the beginning with my luggage as she didn`t have any. But then they left me in the metro to wait for my new companion who met me with her own three suitcases and two bags. We were left alone in the metro to transport all five suitcases and four bags to our new apartment. This was a struggle, but kind people in the metro helped us and one man even stopped his car and asked us if he could run our luggage to the apartment. Usually we would say no, but in this case we were about to pass out so we accepted.

Lots of luggage for 2 sisters to carry

The next few days we just tried to get our bearings in the city. We are opening a new area so there are no established people to work with. But that`s ok, we are seeing lots of miracles. The Lord is truly blessing us!

On Monday, faced with the impending transfer calls, we did some of the last-minute things I wanted to do in Ottawa in case I got transferred out of Ottawa.

We went to my favorite store in the city where they only have products made in Ottawa then took the city train to take photos next to the canal. Later we had a night walk around a nature park in Gatineau.
Tuesday a kind RM member took us out to a Mexican restaurant. It has been the first Mexican restaurant I have been to on my mission, which is a stark difference from my life before Canada. We also had a lesson with our investigator who is getting baptized in two weeks!
Wednesday we had a lunch after district meeting for our district leader who is going home. I made my famous meatballs ( my family knows what I am talking about hehe). We got lost on our way to an appointment but ended up finding a great potential investigator. So thankful for the way the Lord changes our plans for us so that we can do His work better!
Thursday we served at Ottawa Mission and after had sushi for dinner with our wonderful investigator 🙂 Friday we were busy teaching lessons all day. Saturday we had our the transfer call. I will be going back to Quebec, this time to Montreal. Like all changes it is bittersweet but I am happy to go wherever the Lord wants me to serve. Sunday I took a lot of pictures! I love you all, and I love that we have so many opportunities to experience change and be changed in our lives!